When did the malachim come?
There are two opinions in Chazal about when the malachim came to visit Avraham Avinu. Some say it was on Sukkos, and others say it was on Pesach. The sefer Menachem Tziyon writes something fascinating: Both are true — the malachim came on Sukkos and stayed with Avraham through the whole winter, including Pesach!
Avraham’s tree
The pasuk says that Avraham offered the malachim a place to rest under a tree. The Zohar tells us something fascinating about this tree. Avraham would use it to find out who believed in Hashem and who worshipped idols. If someone who believed in Hashem sat under the tree, its branches would spread out and give him shade from the sun. But if an idol worshipper sat under it, the leaves would fold up and wouldn’t give him any shade, and Avraham knew he needed to teach them about emunah!
Story
A Yid was once traveling through Poland. On a freezing cold night, he arrived in the town of Gostonin. He started looking for an inn where he could spend the night. Finally, he spotted a house with its lights on. Sure that this was the local inn, he knocked on the door.
A Yid opened the door and let him in. The traveler quickly told the man that he was starving, so his host gave him some cake and drinks. But the traveler said he was still hungry! His host then went and cooked him a delicious stew, which he quickly ate. Afterward, he was offered a bed. He was so tired that he fell asleep with his dirty shoes still on, getting the bed all muddy!
What this Yid didn’t know was that he was actually a guest in the home of the great tzadik, Reb Yechiel Meir of Gostonin! The tzadik himself had cooked the food for him, and the traveler had slept in the tzadik’s own bed, leaving him awake all night!
The next morning, when the traveler went to shul and saw the Rebbe sitting up front, he finally realized his mistake. He was terribly embarrassed and ran over to ask the Rebbe for forgiveness. But the Rebbe refused to forgive him!
After the Yid begged him some more, the Rebbe finally said that he would forgive him on one condition. The Yid quickly agreed, ready to do anything.
The Rebbe said, “I will forgive you on the condition that every time you come to this town, you stay at my house as my guest!”
The Rebbe explained that he rarely had the opportunity to perform this great mitzvah of hachnasas orchim. He was so excited about what had happened that he wanted to keep having this special zechus!
#1 From where do we learn that a malach doesn’t have a yetzer hara?
#2 Where do we see in the Torah that sick people drink a lot of water?
#3 Who were the two people Avraham took along on the way to the akeidah?
Answers: 1) Because the pasuk says “v’saadu libchem,” not “levavchem,” referring to “heart” in the singular, implying they only have one “heart” or inner drive (Rashi to 18:5). 2) The water ran out for Hagar and Yishmael because Yishmael wasn’t feeling well and drank a lot (Rashi to 21:15). 3) Eliezer and Yishmael (Rashi to 22:3).
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 104.